Ottawa restaurant Union Local 613 says it is cutting ties with Shopify after the company refused to stop hosting Breitbart’s online store.

The e-commerce platform, which powers thousands of online stores around the world, has come under fire for its ties to the right-wing news network Breitbart. In a statement released this week, Shopify CEO Tobias Lütke said that despite the considerable backlash, the company will continue to host Breitbart’s online store because the company supports free speech.

However, the Centretown restaurant said through its Facebook page that it can’t support Shopify’s decision and severed their relationship with the Ottawa-based company until it can “better articulate” its dealings with Breitbart.

“We are not blind to the fact that other commerce platforms probably engage with other unsavoury elements however the views and de facto mandate of Breitbart stand in direct opposition to the values we hold as a business. We are also not kidding ourselves in thinking our small shop’s decision will make any substantial impact but staying true to our principles and ethics is paramount to our business model.”

In the lengthy statement released by Shopify this week, Lütke stressed that while they “don’t like” what Breitbart represents, Shopify promotes free speech.

“This means protecting the right of organizations to use our platform even if they are unpopular or if we disagree with their premise, as long as they are within the law,” said Lütke.

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